Before I have a chance to respond to Ranveer, two shadows step from behind him. They’re not even fully in view but I know Leo and Apollo are here too. Which, of course. The Tripdick’s strength only comes when the three of them are together. If it was just one of them, I could probably get myself out of this trouble. But all three?

Yeah, no. I have a problem. A big one.

Apollo chuckles and leans closer to Ranveer. He’s definitely the slacker of the three of them, less driven toward claiming the Alpha title that will one day be up for grabs, but it doesn’t make Apollo any less dangerous. And of course the piece of shit is attractive as hell. Even in the dark shadow of the forest his brown skin compliments his full lips and the black curls he keeps cut close to his scalp.

“You made it,” Ranveer mumbles to the other two, loud enough so I can hear it, of course. Then another smile in my direction. Another smile that turns his already stupidly hot face into something the gods would be jealous of. With his golden skin, broad shoulders, shoulder-length thick black hair that’s just begging to have fingers trailed through it…ugh. Also, it’s clear he spends a lot of time making sure his stubble is the perfect amount in the perfect shape, and somehow his vanity just makes him more attractive, not less.

“Stop,” Leo says to the two of them. And they listen, settling down. The Tripdick are all on equal footing with each other, which is why they have as much power as they do, but I don’t think anyone will disagree if I say that Leo is the leader of their trio. Maybe not even Ranveer, though I’m sure in his mind the Tripdick revolves around him, just like the rest of the world.

But Leo…Leo is somehow the worst of the three. His pale eyes are unsettling and they always seem to be looking down his straight nose right at me.

It’s unfair that three assholes like them can be so attractive. I stand by the belief that only good people should look good. Everyone’s outside should reflect their inside. Or at least that’s how it would be in a just world.

Of course I damn well know justice and fairness are few and far between.

“You dressed like that,” Ranveer says, his eyes blatantly focusing on my chest, “only to leave the party early?”

I resist the urge to cover my chest with my arms. I’m not in the wrong, here. And anyway, I’m sure it’s what he wants. I’m not afraid of them and I’m not going to do anything to let them think I am.

You mean like running away from the party?

Apollo laughs again. “Margie’s looking for some tail tonight.”

I smirk at them, but I hide my fists behind my back so they can’t see that I’m digging my nails into my palms. “Like I’d find any decent tail in this shithole.”

I raise my eyebrow at them, and from the flash in Ranveer’s and Apollo’s eyes, I can see the insult has hit right where I want it to.

Though Leo is quiet and, like usual, not even looking at me. As if I’m so below his notice he can’t even be bothered.

His disregard makes my mouth feel dry, and I lick my lips.

Why am I letting these assholes drive me away from the party? Why am I letting them have any control over me at all?

No. Fuck them. I’m going back to the party and there’s nothing they can do to stop me.

I stride forward, pushing past them. Apollo is the only one who actually moves out of my way. “C’mon, Margie. Don’t be like that. Where you going?”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t you three have Alpha shit you should be doing with Samuel? Aren’t you supposed to be the future of the pack? Because right now all I see are some drunken assholes harassing pack members in the woods. Not really Alpha behavior, if you ask me.” I keep walking.

Wolf packs typically only have a single Alpha heir, but for some reason the Silvercrest pack is blessed with these three shitbags. Leo, Ranveer, and Apollo were all born on the same day and each of them bear the mark that implies they’re fated to be the Alpha, and so here we fucking are. Stuck with the inseparable trio. Rivals and yet somehow ride-or-die best friends, all who enjoy making my, admittedly already not great life, worse.

Samuel is supposed to decide which man will officially be his heir this year, and I’m willing to bet that once he picks, their friendship may just fall apart.

Of course, they’re all three awful, so it’s not like it’s going to be a great day for me, either, even if the rest of the pack wants to lick their feet or whatever.

Gross.

I hear rapid footsteps behind me, and suddenly Ranveer’s arm is draped across my shoulder. It’s only pure control that stops me from flinching at his touch.

“We’re out on good behavior of course,” he says to me, leaning down so his mouth is closer to my ear.

I snort. “Are you sure? Or is it really that Samuel has found you three all so goddamn useless that he’s given up on the idea of picking any of you as his heir?”

Ranveer lacks the control I have. The flinch tenses all the way down his arm, which he slides free from me. But just when I think I’m free of him he grabs my shoulder and yanks me around to face him.

I stumble, barely managing to remain on my feet.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

His voice is low, almost a snarl, and Leo and Apollo step up until all three of them are encircling me. I can’t run from them now even if I want to.

With all three of them so close to me, I can feel their power radiating off of them. It makes me want to drop my gaze. Makes me want to bare my throat to them in submission.

They’ll never let you forget it if you do…

Ranveer bares his teeth at me, but it’s not him who speaks next—it’s the typically silent Leo.

“We wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand.” Leo’s voice is low, cold, and quiet, and yet it’s clear he expects everyone to hear him regardless of his volume. “How could a leech understand? Someone who only sucks up the resources given to them, resources that should be reserved for true pack members who deserve them?”

For a brief moment he snaps his eyes up and looks directly at mine. His pale blue eyes are so unsettling that, try as I might, I’m the first one to look away.

“You weren’t invited,” he states matter-of-factly. “And yet here you are, standing in front of us, planning to drink our beer. And you honestly think we’re the ones who are useless here?”

He pulls his eyes away from me once more and I suddenly feel like I can breathe again.

Except for the fact that my throat is tight at his words. He doesn’t speak as often as Ranveer and Apollo do, but when he does, he tears into me and lays all my fears out in the open.

I can’t reply. I can’t speak. Not only because anything I say won’t hold a candle to his words, but also because I can’t trust my voice right now, either.

The best I can do is turn and push through them, walking away from the party once more.

I definitely didn’t win this round, and we all know it.

I step off the path and cut through the trees to head toward Odette’s.

It’s so stupid. They’re so stupid. Ugh.

And you’re stupid too, for letting them make you feel this way.

That’s what pisses me off the most, that they have such power over me, and try as I might to turn the other cheek or let it brush off my shoulders like they don’t mean anything, it never seems to work. I can’t seem to escape the hold they have over me. It’s humiliating and infuriating.

All I wanted was a night to celebrate my birthday. Get a beer, enjoy the weather, look hot for a change.

But of course they had to ruin it. Just like they always ruin everything else.

Fucking assholes.

***

“Margot!”

The voice is a frantic shout, so loud and sharp that I sit up and scramble out of bed all before I even truly wake up. When my feet hit the ground, though, it’s enough to send a sort of shock through my body, grounding me.

Sunlight is streaming through my window. It’s morning. I’m safe.

“Margot!” This time it’s clearly Odette who’s shouting for me. A moment later the door on my bedroom slams open and Odette is standing there, looking wide-eyed and frantic and a whole bunch of other things I can’t quite parse. “We have to go to the main house! Right now!”

I rub my eyes, trying to erase the last few remnants of my hastily abandoned sleep. “What? Why?”

Odette opens and closes her mouth a few times, and even though she looks a bit like a fish, her clear loss for words is what really snaps me awake. Something is wrong here. Something is seriously wrong.

“Odette…?”

“It’s Alpha Samuel,” she finally manages to blurt out before shaking her head and causing her wild hair to poof around her like a storm cloud. “Something happened last night… Samuel’s dead.”